Q&A with Richard Mabry, M.D.

If you enjoy great suspense and are fascinated with the medical profession, don't miss Richard Mabry's books and have fun getting to know him here.

Richard Mabry

What appeals to you most about writing fiction?

Since my teens, fiction has been my escape. At first, reading was my way of expanding my life past the small Texas town in which I was reared. Later, it helped me get away from the stress of life as I progressed in my education and entered medical practice.

As I began my road to writing with my non-fiction book, The Tender Scar: Life After The Death Of A Spouse, several authors, among them James Scott Bell, suggested I try my hand at fiction. The light bulb went on above my head, and the rest—as they say—is history.

Why Christian fiction?

It never occurred to me to write in any other fiction genre. That’s not to say that all my books have conversion scenes and an exposition of the Roman Road. Rather, they reflect how a relationship with God, or the lack thereof, can affect the way a character meets the reverses of life. I’ve been down those paths, and it just seemed natural to write from that perspective.

Name five things you can’t live without

Wow! Tough one. In no particular order, they are:

1. Coffee in the morning as I watch our local news

2. Tex-Mex food, especially the salsa, at Christina’s

3. The music and preaching at Stonebriar Community Church in Frisco

4. Playing with my grandchildren

5. The support of my wife, family, and friends when I decide my writing stinks.

Favourite book ~ Favourite movie ~ Favourite TV show

-Books: Too many to name, but including anything by John Grisham or Robert B. Parker.

-Movie: Bull Durham. Kevin Costner, Susan Sarandon, and baseball. What else do you need?

-TV: The Big Bang Theory. Hilarious premise and talented cast.

Where is the most interesting place you have been?

Two places, same trip. In Thailand, where Kay and I honeymooned while I taught a medical course, she and I rode an elephant, and I almost pushed her off. (Honest, it was an accident). In Singapore we stayed in the tallest hotel I’ve ever been in and watched a thunderstorm blow through below us.

What did you want to be when you grew up?

Started off wanting to be a pilot. Later, thought about law. Then, in mid-teens, God told me I really should be a doctor. Interestingly enough, He was right. Go figure.

What are two things people might be surprised to know about you?

I played beach volleyball in Hawaii with the Pittsburgh Steelers. (Franco Harris thanked me and called me “sir” when we finished.)

I played baseball with Mickey Mantle and hit a double off Whitey Ford. (Okay, it was a baseball fantasy camp, but it still counts).

Diagnosis Death

The lead character in each of your novels has been a woman, which is an unusual choice for a male writer. Do share why.

After three unsuccessful novels with male protagonists, it dawned on me that since 85% of the readers of Christian fiction are women, I might want to consider a change. And in case you wonder how I manage to write from a female viewpoint, I give all the credit to my wife, Kay. She reads my work, and often says, “A woman wouldn’t say this” or “She wouldn’t do that.” I’ve learned to listen to her, and obviously it works.

How do you come up with the medical dilemmas in your stories?

A few…very few…come from my own experience. Others from situations I’ve read about in journals, heard about from colleagues, or even seen in the news. But most of them come from my basic medical knowledge, augmented by the question Alton Gansky taught me to ask: “What if…?”

What is unique about Dr Elena Gardner?

Since I live in Texas, I thought it would be interesting to explore the relationship of a Hispanic doctor who married an Anglo from a family with a deep prejudice against other races. I didn’t want the plot to hinge on it, but definitely wanted the subtext to be there. In addition, Dr. Gardner has been through the same gut-wrenching trauma I experienced when it came time to discontinue life support for my first wife. It’s an emotion I’ll never forget, and I wanted to convey a little about how that affects the person faced with that decision.

What was your favourite scene to write in Diagnosis Death or share your favourite paragraph?

I wrote this first scene for the book before I’d even completed the synopsis. I still like it.

She stood by his bedside and waited for him to die.

Outside the room, the machines and monitors of the ICU hummed and beeped, doctors and nurses went about their business, and the hospital smell—equal parts antiseptic and despair—hung heavy in the air.

With one decisive move she flipped the switch of the respirator and stilled the machine’s rhythmic chuffing. In the silence that followed, she imagined she could hear his heartbeat fade away.

She kissed him and exhaled what passed for a prayer, her lips barely moving as she asked for peace and forgiveness—for him and for her.

She stood for a moment with her head bowed, contemplating the enormity of her action. Then she pocketed the empty syringe from the bedside table and tiptoed out of the room.

What’s next in your writing pipeline?

My fourth (and apparently final) book in the Prescription For Trouble series, Lethal Remedy, is completed and will be released by Abingdon on September 1. Now I’m working on synopses and sample chapters for three different books. I guess we’ll just have to see if a publisher is interested.

Thanks, Doc :) Appreciate you sharing something of yourself.

Relz Reviewz Extras

Character spotlight on Dr Elena Gardner

Reviews of Code Blue and Medical Error

Character spotlight on Cathy & Will

Interview with Richard

Visit Richard's website and blog

Buy Richard's books at Amazon or CBD

Character Spotlight ~ Richard Mabry's Elena Gardner

Dr. Elena Gardner

Richard Mabry, M.D. has turned a medical career into a storytelling one! Mixing medicine and suspense has become his forte. Be sure to pick up his his latest book, Diagnosis Death, and enjoy.

Over to you, Doc:~

Brief physical description

Dr. Elena Gardner has long dark hair, brown eyes, and a model figure. Her looks hint at her Hispanic heritage—her father was a wealthy Mexican businessman, her mother the daughter of a US diplomat—and she definitely turns heads.

Actor/famous person

She’s been compared with Eva Longoria.

Strengths and weaknesses

Elena has the strengths exhibited by any woman who completes medical training: the ability to work hard, to focus her thoughts and efforts even when personal problems come along, and a sharp mind.

Unfortunately, she isn’t always as self-confident as she might be, especially when circumstances keep cropping up that make her doubt herself.

Quirk (if any)

Elena is ambivalent about her heritage—both embarrassed and proud. Since she was reared by her mother’s sister after her parents were killed in an auto accident, she grew up as an Anglo, barely speaking any Spanish.

Your inspiration for the character

Actually, the inspiration for the story stemmed from the accusations levelled against a friend and colleague that he engaged in euthanasia of critically ill patients during the Hurricane Katrina disaster. Because I’m a native Texan and familiar with the Hispanic culture, I changed Elena to a female doctor with the mixed heritage I’ve described.

Background to the story

In addition to the story about my colleague I’ve mentioned, I was tasked with discontinuing life support after my first wife suffered a fatal stroke, so I knew the emotional turmoil involved in such a decision. That led me to think in terms that evolved into the story of Diagnosis Death: what if a doctor is accused of mercy killings, including her own husband, and despite threatening midnight phone calls and a damaged professional reputation, she won’t—or can’t—defend herself?

Thanks Doc ~ always a pleasure to have you make a house call ;-)

Relz Reviewz Extras

Reviews of Code Blue and Medical Error

Character spotlight on Cathy & Will

Interview with Richard

Visit Richard's website and blog

Buy Richard's books at Amazon or CBD

Medical Error by Richard Mabry, M.D.

Synopsis:~

Dr. Anna McIntyre’s life was going along just fine until someone else started living it. Her patient died because of an identity mix-up; her medical career is in jeopardy because of forged prescriptions; and her credit is in ruins. She thought things couldn’t get worse, but that was before she opened the envelope and saw a positive HIV test with her name on it.

Her allies are two men who are also competing for her affection. Dr. Nick Valentine is a cynic who carries a load of guilt. Attorney Ross Donovan is a recovering alcoholic. The deeper Anna digs to discover who’s behind the identity thefts the higher the stakes. Finally, when her life is on the line, Anna finds that her determination to clear her name might have been a prescription for trouble.

My take:~

Richard Mabry returns with his unique brand of medical suspense and a determined heroine with Medical Error, following his solid and engaging debut novel, Code Blue. Richard is clearly honing his craft as he has created a more complex mystery with a few surprise twists along the way. His compelling characters wrestle with feelings, frustrations and regrets in an authentic manner and the final outcome of Anna's dilemma and her romantic triangle remain in doubt until the final pages. Medical terminology is expertly used and will satisfy the knowledgeable reader without confusing the rest of us! Intriguing and absorbing, Medical Error highlights the contemporary crime of identity theft, provides a satisfying mystery with a dash of romance, making it a most recommended read.

With thanks to the author from my review copy

Relz Reviewz Extras

Review of Code Blue

Character spotlight on Cathy & Will

Interview with Richard

Visit Richard's website and blog

Buy Richard's books at Amazon or CBD

Getting to know Richard Mabry M.D.

Former physician turned writer, Richard Mabry M.D. combines his medical knowledge with a love of suspense in his debut series, Prescription for Trouble. If you enjoy medical mysteries, pick up your copy of Code Blue stat!

Over to you, Richard:~

If you could have chosen your own name, what would it be?

I’d probably go with my current middle name: Lee

Did you have a special toy that went everywhere with you when you were young? Please describe.

Not a toy, but a patchwork quilt that my grandmother made. Dragged it around like Linus until it fell apart.

If you were stranded on a desert island what one object would you want with you? (Besides your Bible)

A computer with high speed Internet access.

What's your favourite ice cream flavour?

German chocolate cake

What did you want to be when you grew up?

At first, I wanted to be a pilot (because my uncle was a fighter pilot in World War II). In my early ‘teens I decided I’d be a lawyer, because I was good at debate. Between my junior and senior years in high school, God told me I was going to be a physician. Surprisingly enough, for that age, I listened to Him. Glad I did.

If you could travel anywhere in the world, where would you go?

Back to Freudenstadt, in Germany’s Black Forest, to relax and unwind.

Favourite book?

Too many to list. Right now I’m re-reading the entire works of Robert B. Parker.

Favourite movie?

Bull Durham (Susan Sarandan, Kevin Costner, and baseball—what a trifecta).

ER, General Hospital, Scrubs or M*A*S*H?!

Of the four,MASH is the only one I’ve watched. Liked it as much for the military slant as for the medical. (I served three years in the Air Force).

Baseball, basketball or gridiron? (I’d put cricket in there but don’t like my chances!)

To play? Baseball. To watch? Football. To totally confuse me? Cricket.

Where's the most interesting place you have been?

Too many to list, but the one that stands out is Petra (“the rose-red city half as old as time”) in Jordan.

Great Barrier Reef, Uluru (Ayers Rock) or Sydney Harbour Bridge?

Love beautiful scenery, so Uluru.

What's your most fervent prayer?

I agree with Anne Lamott that there are really only two prayers—“please, please, please” and “thank you, thank you, thank you.” I utter them both a lot.

What is your favourite Bible verse (or "one" of your favorites) and what does it mean to you?

Romans 8:38-39. These verses took on new meaning for me after the death of my first wife, Cynthia. I still use them when I sign copies of The Tender Scar: Life After The Death Of A Spouse.

Where did you go on your first date with your wife, Kay?

El Fenix restaurant in Dallas, near the medical school where we both worked. Enjoyed Tex-Mex food, talked for two hours, emerged to find that a tornado had struck just thirty miles away and we were totally unaware of it.

You are a husband, father, grandfather, physician, teacher and writer. What do you believe is your greatest achievement in life so far?

Professional accomplishments notwithstanding, I’m proudest of my children and grandchildren.

Ask each of your grandchildren one thing they love about you and share it with us, please!

My twelve-year-old grandson loves me because I teach him about baseball. The five-year-old loves me because I give him his favorite junk food (Doritos). The two- and one-year-old girls are withholding their votes for now.

My readers recently submitted questions to ask authors ~ the questions in italics are their contributions (thanks, guys!)

How does your writing impact on your faith?

With me, it’s the other way around. My faith affects my writing—I try to live my faith each day, and that includes incorporating it into my writing.

How does God use your writing to teach you lessons of your own?

Sometimes my plotting causes me to rethink my own behavior. There are times when I write about a character doing something, only to pause and think, “I wouldn’t do that myself—but I should.”

How do you describe your walk with Jesus?

Stumbling forward, trying to keep my eye on the One who is leading the way.

Pet peeves in Christian fiction?

Books with conversion scenes and exhortations that don’t seem at all realistic.

What Christian fiction do you read?

Mainly thrillers and suspense: most recently James Scott Bell and Brandilyn Collins.

What matters most to you in this life?

“…Let us run with endurance the race God has set before us.” Heb. 12:1b

What is your process in developing characters for your novels?

I first consider what I picture them doing. Then I choose their profession, fill in their background, and finally write a sketch that includes their physical characteristics, what kind of car they drive, etc. Somewhere along the line I choose a name that I think fits them (and that isn’t too similar to that of another character).

How do you feel about overt "plan of salvation" novels, vs. those that are faith-based but leave it to the reader to understand the message?

I’m not comfortable writing the former type, although some people write them well, and some readers clamour for them. As I said before, I commit my own faith to the printed page in the way the characters live their lives, face adversity, and encounter God along the way. I learned long ago that as a Christian my goal is to plant the seed. But I definitely have to see that it’s been planted and watered as the novel winds down.

What's your number one best way to carve time to write out of your busy schedule?

Who says I’m able to regularly carve out time? I write best (and complain most) when under deadline. That’s when I sequester myself in my office for a couple of hours after breakfast and again in the afternoon. Beyond that, I try to write several mornings a week. But, as we all know, sometimes life gets in the way, most often in the form of family obligations. And, frankly, I think those come first.

What was the most difficult book for you to write in terms of research, character development, etc?

Like most writers, I’ve written several novels that were never published. These early works posed the greatest problem in that area, because I was a total neophyte, learning along the way.

As far as everyday people go, who has influenced you or helped you the most in your Christian walk?

God has blessed me twice with the love of a wonderful woman. My late wife, Cynthia, and my wife, Kay, have helped me stay on track, providing a great example and gentle encouragement.

What's your favorite kind of pizza?

Thin crust pizza with ground beef, mushrooms, and black olives, generally consumed while watching the Dallas Cowboys play football on TV.

CODE BLUE

Please describe each of your main characters with one word.

Dr. Anna Sewell: tortured

Will Kennedy: steady

Dr. Marcus Bell: enigmatic

Matthew and Dora Kennedy: supportive

Ella Mae Mercer: mysterious

Dr. Josh Samuels: insightful

Dr. Arthur Harshman: curmudgeonly

How did you choose their names?

I simply tried to come up with names that fit the characters, while not sounding too much like those of other characters. Of course, there was a reason for picking the names of Dr. Arthur Harshman and Dr. Josh Samuels. Maybe my readers can figure that one out after they’re read the book.

Cathy suffers greatly from the rejection of other established doctors and their reluctance to give her hospital privileges. Did you observe that behaviour towards new and/or female doctors a lot during your career?

This is rare, but it does happen. On the other hand, if I’d written about how loving and accepting the town doctors were, it would have been a short and very boring novel.

Your first book was non-fiction, The Tender Scar, written following the death of your first wife. How has your writing experience been different this time around with a novel?

As different as cheese and chalk. The Tender Scar was based on my journaling done for two years after Cynthia died. I used segments of those thoughts as a jumping off place to detail my experiences, my failures and successes, and my advice. The material was there, I just had to identify it and put it into proper form.

On the other hand, fiction requires pulling a plot out of thin air and populating it. For each novel, I had a rough idea of how things were going to turn out, but I was in total control of the flow of the plot. It was a real challenge to pull that off. Hope I did it successfully with Code Blue.

Medical Error releases in September, 2010. A sneak peek, please?

Dr. Anna McIntyre’s life was going along just fine until someone else started living it. Her patient died because of an identity mix-up, her medical career is in jeopardy because of forged prescriptions, and her credit is slipping away. She thought things couldn’t get worse, but that was before she opened the envelope and saw a positive HIV test with her name on it.

Her allies are two men who are also competing for her affection. Dr. Nick Valentine is a cynic who carries a load of guilt. Attorney Ross Donovan is a recovering alcoholic. The deeper Anna digs to discover who’s behind the identity thefts, the higher the stakes. Finally, when her life is on the line, Anna finds that her determination to clear her name might have been a prescription for trouble.

Care to share what is in your writing pipeline now?

I’m awaiting the macro-edits for the third novel in the Prescription For Trouble series, Diagnosis Death. Here’s a taste:

After her comatose husband died in the ICU while on life support, the whispers about Dr. Allison Williams began. They were stronger when another of her critically ill patients died. After she took up practice in a small town, the whispers turned to a shout: “mercy killing.” What was the dark secret that kept Allison’s lips sealed when she should be defending herself?

I’m also starting work on my fourth novel, as yet uncontracted. It’s about an antibiotic that is saving thousands of lives. Unfortunately it’s soon evident that the drug has potentially lethal late effects that were hidden by one of the developers. Soon the race is on to discover the person who has the key to reversing the process.

Thanks so much, Richard, for spending your valuable time with us at Relz Reviewz. Looking forward to the rest of your Prescription for Trouble series :)

Relz Reviewz Extras

Review of Code Blue

Character spotlight on Cathy & Will

Read the first chapter of Code Blue

Visit Richard's website and blog

Buy Richard's books at Amazon or CBD

Code Blue by Richard Mabry

Synopsis:~

After a broken relationship, all Dr. Cathy Sewall wants is to find healing. But it's clear that returning to her hometown is a prescription for trouble. When one of Cathy's medications almost kills the local banker, she's charged with malpractice! She knows she's innocent, but who would want to end her career---and possibly her life?

My take:~

Retired physician Richard Mabry M.D. has exchanged his stethoscope for a pen, with pleasing results! The return of the town's prodigal daughter out to prove her worth has the local medical fraternity's "boys club" on edge and the scene is set for the perfect small town mystery. Combining medical expertise, solid suspense and a fledgling romance, Richard has all the essential elements at work in the first of his Prescription for Trouble series. On a par with Hannah Alexander novels, Richard has a bright future in this niche genre as he continues to grow his craft. The first chapter of his second novel, Medical Error, can be found at the end of Code Blue and has me hooked already ~ bring on Dr Anna McIntyre and Nick Valentine!

With thanks to the author for my review copy

Relz Reviewz Extras

Character spotlight on Cathy & Will

Read the first chapter of Code Blue

Visit Richard's website and blog

Buy Richard's books at Amazon or CBD

Character Spotlight ~ Richard Mabry's Dr Cathy Sewell

Dr Cathy Sewell

Not content to relax in retirement after a distinguished medical career, Richard Mabry has turned his hand to writing novels! Combining his extensive medical experience with his love of writing his debut novel, Code Blue, is the first in a series of medical thrillers. I hope you enjoy taking the pulse of his main character, Dr Cathy Sewell!

Over to you, Richard:~

Brief physical description

Dr. Cathy Sewell is a petite, blue-eyed blonde. Since completing her Family Practice training and moving back to her hometown, she's let her hair grow out from the “easy-to-manage” shorter cut she favored during her residency, and some of the sparkle is back in her eyes, at least temporarily.

People tell her she's the “spitting image” of her mother, who was killed in an auto accident a few years back. Unfortunately, her mother also had some mental problems, and Cathy hopes the resemblance doesn't go that far.

This is an image of Cathy on one of her happier days.

Strengths and weaknesses

In her professional life, Cathy is good at making decisions. But the events that drove her back to her hometown and the trouble she encountered there have left her doubting herself and her personal choices more and more. She'd like to lean on others, including her high school boyfriend, lawyer Will Kennedy, but can't bring herself to trust him…or any man, for that matter.

Pierce Brosnan makes for a great Will Kennedy

Quirk (if any)

Like most doctors, Cathy has a tendency to deny that she could have any kind of problem, let alone a mental one. If someone is really after you, it can't be paranoia…can it?

Like many female doctors, she carries a small chip on her shoulder, realizing she has to be better than her male counterparts to gain their respect.

Your inspiration for the character

There's no specific female doctor after whom I patterned Cathy, although I incorporated a few of the characteristics of the resident physicians I trained in my ten years as a medical school professor.

On the other hand, the town where the action takes place--Dainger, Texas--just might bear a resemblance to my own hometown.

Background to the story

I thought it would be interesting to tell the story of a young female doctor who flees back to her hometown when her world comes crashing down around her. Rather than being received with open arms by the medical community, she finds she has to prove herself again and again. I'm familiar with the turf battles that the average patient never sees, but which are part and parcel of modern medical practice, and I've made these a part of the conflict that greets Cathy.

The legacy left by her surgeon father and her mother, both killed in a car crash on their way to her medical school graduation, represents both a blessing and a curse to Cathy. Anyone who has ever tried to “live up” to the reputation of a parent or sibling will identify with the situation.

The rest of the story's conflict--an erroneous prescription leading to a malpractice suit, Cathy's trust issues with the men who want to help her, and her discovery that someone in town wants her gone (as in “dead”)--are purely products of my imagination.

I'm intrigued, Richard ~ thanks for sharing Cathy with us! I'm looking forward to reading your debut novel even more now.


Continuing the medical theme, on Monday the spotlight shines on Candace Calvert's Erin Quinn and Scott McKenna from Disaster Status!

Relz Reviewz Extras

Read the first chapter of Code Blue

Visit Richard's website and blog

Buy Richard's books at Amazon or CBD

Coming soon from Abingdon Press

Here are some more covers for you to continue the discussion of covers and to see what you can look forward to later in the year!

Abingdon Press are getting some good feedback on their covers ~ what do you think?

Medical Error by Richard Mabry MD

Dr. Anna McIntyre’s life was going along just fine until someone else started living it. Her patient died because of an identity mix-up, her medical career is in jeopardy because of forged prescriptions, and her credit is in ruins. She thought things couldn’t get worse, but that was before she opened the envelope and saw a positive HIV test with her name on it.

Her allies are two men who are also competing for her affection. Dr. Nick Valentine is a cynic who carries a load of guilt. Attorney Ross Donovan is a recovering alcoholic. The deeper Anna digs to discover who’s behind the identity thefts, the higher the stakes. Finally, when her life is on the line, Anna finds that her determination to clear her name might have been a prescription for trouble.

September, 2010

When The Devil Whistles by Rick Acker

“I didn’t have a choice. I didn’t.”

That’s what Allie Whitman tells herself every night as she lies awake. Sometimes she even believes it. But mostly she knows deep down that her inability to make a hard choice has put millions of lives at risk, including her own. Now the only one who can help her is her lawyer, Connor Norman. Unfortunately, Allie’s actions have destroyed Connor’s trust in her—and may destroy much, much more.

October, 2010

I Shall Not Want by Debbie Viguie

Charity work can be murder!

It’s Thanksgiving and Joseph Tyler, one of the members of Cindy’s church, has organized a new charity that provides homeless people with rescue dogs to love and care for. But one by one, the homeless recipients are being murdered and their dogs stolen. Could an overly competitive millionaire with his prize-winning pooches and a grudge be behind the crimes? Or could it be someone much closer to Joseph who has something sinister to hide? Cindy and Jeremiah must rush to find a killer before he strikes again.

October, 2010

A Time to Love by Barbara Cameron

War correspondent Jennie King thinks she’s just a temporary guest in her grandmother’s Amish community while she recuperates from the devastating injuries sustained in a car bomb attack that changed her world. But when she meets Matthew Bontrager, the man she had a crush on as a teenager, she wonders if God has a new plan for her.

October, 2010

Long Time Coming by Vanessa Miller

Faithful Christian Deidre Clark-Morris is a professional career-minded woman with a loving husband, but no children.

Kenisha Smalls has lived in poverty all her life. She has three children by three different men and has just been diagnosed with inoperable cervical cancer. While the meeting between these two women appears accidental, it becomes their catalyst of hope. Neither woman expects the blessing that God has in store for her.

While Deidre will guide Kenisha on the path to eternal life with Jesus Christ, Kenisha will teach Deidre how to stand strong against the hard-knocks of life.

November, 2010

Coming in April/May from Abingdon Press

I wonder if this post will create such an enthusiastic response from you as did yesterday's post of Abingdon's February/March releases!! You can check that post and the comments, here :)

With the releases below, Abingdon is pushing some boundaries and thinking outside the square - I really like that :) There is something about each one of these stories that appeal ~ how about you?

Need something else to look forward too in the New Year in addition to these interesting titles? I will be shining the spotlight on many of the characters from these books - it is going to be fun!

Enjoy:~

Wildflowers of Terezin by Robert Elmer

Wildflowers of Terezin is a sweeping historical novel set against a backdrop of danger. A Danish Lutheran pastor’s complacent faith is stretched to the breaking point during World War II when he meets a young Jewish nurse Hanne Abrahamsen and becomes deeply involved in Resistance efforts to save Denmark’s Jews from the Nazi prison camp at Terezin, Czechoslovakia—also known as Theresienstadt.

Challenged by his evangelical brother and swayed by his own attraction to Hanne, Pastor Steffen abandons his formerly quiet, uninvolved life and hesitantly volunteers to help smuggle Denmark’s Jews out of the country before a Nazi roundup. Steffen finds that helping his Jewish neighbors is the most decent, spiritual thing he has ever done. As he actually does God’s work, rather than just talking about it, Steffen’s faith deepens and he takes greater risks in his sermons.

When things go terribly wrong and Hanne is sent to Terezin, Steffen finds his heart fully engaged. He undertakes protests and rescues that are more and more dangerous, never imagining where it will lead him, or the ultimate cost of his decision to get directly involved.

Releasing April, 2010

Code Blue by Richard Mabry, MD

In the first book of the Prescription for Trouble series, “Code Blue” means more to Dr. Cathy Sewell than the cardiac emergency she has to face. It describes her mental state as she finds that coming back to her hometown hasn’t brought her the peace she so desperately needs. Instead, it’s clear that someone there wants her gone…or dead.

Cathy returns to her hometown seeking healing after a broken relationship, but discovers that among her friends and acquaintances is someone who wants her out of town…or dead. Lawyer Will Kennedy, her high school sweetheart, offers help, but does it carry a price tag? Is hospital chief of staff Dr. Marcus Bell really on her side in her fight to get hospital privileges? Is Will’s father, Pastor Matthew Kennedy, interested in advising her or just trying to get her back to the church she left years ago?

When one of Cathy’s prescriptions almost kills the town banker, it sets the stage for a malpractice suit that could end her time in town, if not her career. It’s soon clear that this return home was a prescription for trouble.

Releasing April, 2010

Highland Blessings by Jennifer Hudson Taylor

Highland Blessings is the story of a highland warrior who kidnaps the daughter of his greatest enemy and clan chief to honor a promise he made to his dying father. Bryce MacPhearson, a highland warrior, kidnaps Akira MacKenzie on her wedding day to honor a promise he made to his dying father. While Akira’s strength in the Lord becomes a witness to Bryce, she struggles to overcome her anger and resentment when he forces her to wed him, hoping to end a half-century-old feud between their clans. While Akira begins to forgive, and Bryce learns to trust, a series of murders leaves a trail of unanswered questions, confusion, and a legacy of hate that once again rises between their families.

Clearly, a traitor is in their midst. Now the one man Akira loves no longer trusts her, and her own life is in danger. Can Bryce look beyond his pain and seek the truth? Will Akira discover the threat against her before it’s too late? How will God turn a simple promise into bountiful Highland blessings?

Releasing May, 2010

They Almost Always Come Home by Cynthia Ruchti

When Libby’s husband Greg fails to return from a two-week canoe trip to the Canadian wilderness, the authorities soon write off his disappearance as an unhappy husband’s escape from an empty marriage and unrewarding career. Their marriage might have survived if their daughter Lacey hadn’t died…and if Greg hadn’t been responsible.

Libby enlists the aid of her wilderness savvy father-in-law and her faith-walking best friend to help her search for clues to her husband’s disappearance…if for no other reason than to free her to move on.

What the trio discovers in the search upends Libby’s presumptions about her husband and rearranges her faith.

Releasing May, 2010




The Narrow Path by Gail Sattler

Miranda Klassen’s Mennonite church is big and modern and she loves the mixture of faith, action, and activity. But in order to follow her dream she moves across the country to a small town to organize the 25th anniversary celebration of an Old Order Mennonite church.

Ted Wiebe has been assigned to assist and guide Miranda, feeling good that his church has chosen another Mennonite. But except for sharing the same basic faith and denomination, their churches have nothing else in common. His church embraces old-style roots, so Ted expects to find someone similar at the airport: a woman who never wears pants, no body piercing (including pierced ears), no makeup, and wearing a head covering as a sign of modesty, someone else who lives in accordance with old-fashioned values. But the woman who acknowledges him is wearing unreasonably high and outlandishly expensive shoes, denim jeans, and makeup, including bright red lipstick. As she gets off the plane she’s fiddling with an iPod and yapping on the cell phone. When Miranda enters Ted’s church and community she feels like she’s been transported back into Little House On The Prairie.

Ted is supposed to help Miranda fit in, and Miranda is supposed to help his church reach out into the community. When it’s time to start planning and organizing for the celebration, then the fun really begins.

Releasing May, 2010